When a company grows from a four-member team to twenty or thirty people, something fundamental has to change.
In the early days, momentum carries everything. Everyone does a bit of everything. Roles are blurry. Energy is raw and instinctive. But as the team grows, that same chaos if left unchecked, it starts becoming a liability instead of an advantage.
This is the phase where, as a founder, you have to start building blocks.
By blocks, I don’t mean titles, org charts, or headcount plans.
I mean people.
People who are excited enough to take ownership. People who have the itch to be part of a journey where the consequences are bigger and more meaningful than their individual contributions. People who want to go beyond what is comfortable or clearly defined.
I often think of a startup like an army.
An army isn’t just soldiers fighting on the frontlines. Some hold the fort. Some fight the enemy head-on. Some manage the armory from the back. Some make sure food, rations, and supplies keep flowing while the battle is on. Some ensure communication across the entire system so everyone knows what’s happening, when, and why.
Every role matters. Every role compounds the outcome.
A startup is built the same way.
Whether it’s a war or a company, the core remains unchanged. What actually holds everything together is finding the right people.
People who are excited, not entitled. Responsible, not reckless. Humble, not ego-driven. Empathetic, not transactional. People who genuinely believe in a cause bigger than themselves.
In war, that cause is winning. In a startup, it’s building something meaningful.
After more than seven years of my founder journey building taghash.io, I find myself entering this next phase.
I am still learning. Still building. Still growing.
I am not perfect.
And that’s fine.
This phase isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about creating the foundation that allows the company to grow beyond the founder.
At this stage, the founder’s real job is no longer just shipping features or closing deals. It’s about identifying, attracting, and empowering the people who form these blocks.
Strategy will change. Markets will shift. Products will pivot.
But when the right people hold the core together, the company doesn’t just survive. It compounds.